Eddy County Detention Center 'struggling' to find nurses

CARLSBAD -- The Eddy County Detention Center has a shortage of registered nurses and is actively recruiting them, according to statements by warden Billy Massingill at a recent public meeting.

At the Eddy County Commissioners meeting on Feb. 9, Massingill said that the staff at the center has been "struggling to get their nursing staff up to standards."

He said the current medical director is a nurse practitioner and they also have a contracted nurse. However, the current contract with the nurse is scheduled to end in about three weeks and might not be renewed.

He also said one part-time nurse and two full-time nurses are "in the pipeline" to be hired.

Massingill could not be reached for comment on Monday.

In case the potential new nurses are unable to work at the center, county commissioners approved a request for the detention center to partner with a nursing agency. The partnership would help the center fill the open positions.

The detention center also allows recent graduates from New Mexico State University to apply for the positions.

Massingill said that they have recently changed their requirements in order to allow this, there have been no graduating classes since those changes were made.

He also mentioned that the pay for the positions is competitive and that many new recruits are already prepared for the atmosphere of the facility.

However, after they are hired, each recruit is still provided with adequate training. Part of the process includes an eight-hour program and the shadowing of another member of the staff.

"We make sure that they're well-rounded before they're just put out there," he assured the commissioners.